Red Plum Blossoms on the Demons’ Mountain
is the fifth episode of the Nurarihyon no Mago anime. Summary Somewhere inside a house on a mountain range in a thunderstorm, two yōkai are standing behind Gyūki. Gyūki is sitting in front of a Buddha statue. The first states that Gyūki has finally made his decision. The second promises to put himself at risk and serve him to take the life of the Third Heir. At the school rooftop, Yura apologizes to Kana over putting her through the kidnapping yesterday. Kana forgives her and recalls that man and his Meikyō Shisui which saved them. Kana starts to think that not all yōkai are evil. Yura feels that she has disgraced the onmyōji for being saved by yōkai and promises to redeem herself. Natsumi and Saori call them over for a meeting with the rest of the Kiyojūji Paranormal Patrol. In a classroom, Kiyotsugu is about to announce some big news when he realizes Rikuo is missing. Yuki Onna panics having not seen him since the morning, causing the air in the classroom to go cold. It is evening in the Nura House. Kubinashi tells Nattō Kozō to gather medicinal herbs for Rikuo after finishing the laundry. Nattō Kozō tells him to take care of the bucket water. Rikuo is resting in a bed as Kejōrō takes his temperature, telling him he has a high fever and should sleep more. Kubinashi brings the bucket water in for Kejōrō to make wet towels. Both leave as Zen enters the room. Zen remarks how Rikuo is pathetic in the day, how he overdoes his battle and develops a fever. Rikuo responds saying Zen is more sick than himself. Zen asks if Rikuo doesn't remember what happened last night. He thinks about his transformation in front of the sakura tree. Zen wishes his yōkai form would become the Third Heir, then leaves. As Zen bids Rikuo farewell, Yuki Onna pushes him down and runs up to Rikuo. Yuki Onna cries ice tears as she apologizes for not noticing him not having made it to school. She begs Rikuo for punishment as she holds a hot towel, which burns her hands and causes her to run over to the bucket of water to cool the burn. Elsewhere in the Nura House, Nurarihyon is sitting with Mokugyo Daruma and Hitotsume Nyūdō having tea. They converse over the likelihood of Kyūso being under someone else's control, and that this individual is not pleased with Rikuo's awakening as a yōkai. Nurarihyon asks Gyūki what he thinks, revealed to be overhearing the conversation from the floor above. Gyūki convinces the group to wait and see, remarking that although Rikuo is strong as a yōkai, he is only in his yōkai form for a quarter of the day. Hitotsume Nyūdō is jealous at Gyūki over being "goody-goody". Yuki Onna had just finished her special ice compress over Rikuo's head, revealed to be an oversized bag of ice and water, as she leaves to get Rikuo medicine. Having left already, Rikuo asks Yuki Onna if she could melt the ice a little when Kana and the rest of the Kiyojūji Paranormal Patrol, accompanied by Kejōrō, arrive to meet him. Kana asks if she was mistakened for Tsurara (Yuki Onna), then tries to go to the kitchen to get him his medicine, when she opens the door and meets Yuki Onna staring right in front of her with the medicine. Yuki Onna panics and contemplates freezing everyone and knocking them out, but turns away as she emits a cold breeze into the room. Kiyotsugu remarks that Tsurara made it early to Rikuo, and Yuki Onna serves Rikuo her medicine, causing Shima to stare at her in shock and Kana to find out that Rikuo did call for Tsurara. Kiyotsugu interrupts with the group's weekend schedule. He announces that they are going on a field trip to meet a yōkai expert he has been in touch with, who has already reserved rooms for them at an inn. Everyone agrees to attend. Kiyotsugu reveals the destination as Umerakuen. Hitotsume Nyūdō eavesdrops on the conversation and smirks as he walks away. Meanwhile, in a parkette in Ukiyoe Town, Nurarihyon is on a swing set and calls Karasu Tengu to see if anyone in the Nura group was in contact with Kyūso. Karasu Tengu says he will dispatch his stupid sons, the Sanba Garasu, to investigate and flies off. As Nurarihyon contemplates whether the traitor takes on the form of a demon or snake, his stomach growls. He runs off to steal some food. The day before the trip, Kana is packing up for the field trip, reminiscing Rikuo and Tsurara's awkwardly developed relationship as shown earlier. Suddenly she reminisces the moment his yōkai form disappeared in the misty dawn. She blushes as the image is brought into her head. Her phone rings and finds that Rikuo is calling. Rikuo, around many loud yōkai, asks Kana what an average girl usually brings. Kana asks why as Rikuo stares at Yuki Onna packing up. Kana begins listing for Rikuo as Rikuo writes her list on a notebook. Yuki Onna asks Rikuo to whom he is calling. Kana is frustrated as she overhears her voice while Rikuo claims it was his mother and hangs up immediately after thanking her. Wakana walks in, passing Yuki Onna ice packs to pack and asks where the two are heading. Rikuo asks Wakana if she has heard of Umerakuen before. She claims not to, but has heard the place before somewhere. She then wishes the two have fun as she leaves, while Yuki Onna holds up her bag, now dripping, and Rikuo gives her his notebook with the list Kana gave him. The next day, the Kiyojūji Paranormal Patrol is on a high speed train to Umerakuen playing yōkai poker, where Rikuo had just won his twentieth consecutive game. Rikuo remarks that it was just coincidence, while Yuki Onna stares at him in awe at his skills in attracting yōkai, as the future Third Heir, while Kana stares at Yuki Onna supposedly admiring him in a secret relationship. Meanwhile, Yura is staring out the window thinking of the possibility that yōkai actually do appear at Umerakuen as Aotabō, holding on top of the train, promises to accompany Rikuo wherever he goes, then loses grip and gets electrocuted. The group arrives at Umerakuen and stares at the mountain housing Umewakamaru's Shrine, where Kiyotsugu plans they meet the yōkai professor. Yura senses no yōkai energy but walks with caution. Shima runs up to Yuki Onna and asks if she wants him to carry her bag. Yuki Onna politely refuses, causing Shima to feel rejected. Yuki Onna catches up with Rikuo and begins to walk together with him as Kana watches them with Shima, who has a jealous face. Up the mountain's stairs, the group is starting to get tired. Rikuo spots a shrine in the distance away from the stairs. He identifies it as the Umewakamaru Shrine and the group approaches it. Rikuo and Yuki Onna become worried that the mountain may actually house yōkai. Yura feels an ominous presence close by. A silhouette approaches them as Rikuo, Yuki Onna and Yura prepare to attack it. The silhouette is revealed to be the yōkai professor, Professor Adashibara. Kiyotsugu shakes hands with him and Rikuo asks about Umewakamaru. Adashibara states that Umewakamaru is the hero of the yōkai legend of the mountain and asks the group to follow him. Back at the Nura House, Karasu Tengu is in a room with the Sanba Garasu standing outside in silhouettes. The taller one informs Karasu Tengu that it is not confirmed he did it, but that the Ukiyoe Town crows were watching. The Sanba Garasu flies off. Meanwhile, Adashibara leads the group up the stairs to a landing, where the group spots a claw, proof that yōkai live on the mountain. He points that Umewakamaru is just above the next few flights of stairs. Karasu Tengu is in disbelief as he approaches Nurarihyon while he and Wakana offer him a drink. Wakana is informing Nurarihyon of Rikuo's whereabouts. When she mentions he is in Umerakuen, Karasu Tengu spits out his tea and is about to tell him of the situation, but runs off to find the Sanba Garasu. At Umewakamaru's resting place, Rikuo and Yuki Onna are seen holding hands. Adashibara states that Umerakuen was known by another name long ago. He claims the area used to be avoided because of a rumor that a yōkai who attacks lost travelers lives on the mountain. Wanting to put the rumors to rest, the local residents began calling the place a paradise of plum blossoms. Mount Nejireme is revealed to be the original name of the place. Rikuo and Yuki Onna then realize that the yōkai Adashibara had been referring to all along is Gyūki. In the Gyūki Mansion, one of his followers lights up the candles in front of the Buddha statue Gyūki had been sitting in front of. He informs Gyūki of Rikuo's arrival as Gyūki opens his eyes. At the Nura House, meanwhile, Wakana recalls Umerakuen as Mount Nejireme, where Gyūki lives. Both she and Nurarihyon hope Rikuo and Gyūki will be happy to see each other. Hitotsume Nyūdō, smirking, is in another part of the house pouring himself sake, ready to sit back and watch Gyūki cause trouble to Rikuo. At Mount Nejireme, Professor Adashibara is revealed to be a dummy controlled by a yōkai with a horse's skull using strings. The yōkai smirks as he watches the Kiyojūji Paranormal Patrol stare at Umewakamaru. Next episode preview Kurotabō comments that Aotabō's school uniform does not look right. Aotabō asks why and says he is dressed like everyone else in middle school. Kurotabō responds by saying a monk's garb suits him more. Aotabō asks if he just wants to wear a school uniform. Kurotabō stutters. Characters in order of appearance Trivia *Although Rikuo's mother, Wakana, appears in this episode, she doesn't appear in the manga until after the Gyūki arc. *This is the first episode with a flashback to the previous episode. *This is the first episode where the second commercial theme uses different music, a piano melody with the rustling of the sakura tree branches. *In the version subtitled by Viz Media, a translation error occurs at the scene where Adashibara is about to tell the Kiyojūji Paranormal Patrol about the original name of the place Umerakuen. The subtitles state Adashibara is about to tell the Kiyojūji Paranormal Patrol about the original name of Umewakamaru, the character. Category:Episodes